The Last Time
by Evantis
Summary: Leon always waited for Cloud. Tonight would be the last. LeonCloud


_The Last Time_

Written By: Evantis

Rated: T

Summary: Leon always waited for Cloud. Tonight would be the last. LeonCloud.

Word Count: approximately 1601

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A retelling of the aftermath of Cloud and Sephiroth's epic fight. Yes, one that can involve Leon. Rather gloomy at first maybe, but I decided to end on a rather light note. It's quite friend-ish LeonCloud. Nothing that will burn your eyes (I hope).

For Nut and Julie, always supporting my fics no matter how much they suck.

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When Cloud leaves to challenge Sephiroth, Leon stays home and waits. There have been so many previous tries, so many failures that it seemed as though Cloud would never have a night where he could stay home and rest, not stride out at first sight of the moon, and linger at the Crystal Fissure till the ominous, one-winged Sephiroth arrived. There was no end to those terrible, pitch-dark nights, it felt.

If Leon sits quietly enough in the living room, he can hear Aerith's sobs, soft and faint from her room. In the heavy silence that purges the house on these ill-omened nights, he can hear endless footsteps upstairs – either Cid or Vincent up and down their shared bedroom. Occasionally, Yuffie will grab a handful of shuriken and hurl them out of the window down onto the dummies she leaves out in the backyard. Thump. Thump. Thump. Each dummy falls to the ground with a considerably audible sound. While Yuffie stays home and vents her frustration on dummies, Tifa will make excuses not to come home – purposefully evading the dragging, nerve-wrecking wait that comes with staying home.

While the rest of Radiant Garden had their way to deal with the blonde's odd comings and goings, Leon prefers to stay in the living room, curled up on an armchair with a blanket and a book, faithfully waiting for Cloud to walk through the front door – though haggard and fatigued, but at least _alive_.

Cloud's earliest is midnight, and latest is four in the morning. Leon still remembers vividly the first time Cloud was not home even by four. Despite the ungodly hour, he sat erect and alert in the armchair. He could hear his heart thudding furiously in his ears, and the adrenaline wash over him like an unwanted drug.

But in the end Cloud still came, collapsing on the welcome mat with a dramatic splatter of blood everywhere with his fall before he could take another step.

On the day Radiant Garden was overrun with Heartless, and everyone left home to fight the inevitable threat, Leon fought with more resolve and determination than he could ever remember fighting. Perhaps it was because he had watched Cloud fight so hard, and he had done nothing but sit and wait. Now was a chance for him to vent _his_ frustrations, scream at and beat the crap out of the bloody, Hyne-damned creatures. He did not see Cloud much, in between running back and forth, trying to keep everything under control and making sure everyone was doing what they should be doing.

When Sora came running to tell him that Cloud had gone to face Sephiroth for the supposed final clash, he felt his heart shatter. He froze for several moments, imagining the worst of scenarios. Cloud skewered on Masamune, Sephiroth dragging the blonde's dead body to the Borough or worse – Cloud lost to them forever, dead or alive, they would not know. Oh, Masamune – that terrifying steel instrument made for the sole purpose of decimating human life. And Sephiroth – unfeeling and seemingly omnipotent.

However, it seemed that Sora did not grasp the severity of the situation, for he merely looked up at Leon with his usual bright, sky-blue eyes, their light unfading, ever undying. In a cheery voice, he said, "Don't worry, Leon. Cloud will win this time."

He almost wanted to believe Cloud would indeed win. This first success out of uncountable failures.

He wanted so badly for Cloud to win.

The epic battle between Sephiroth and Cloud was longer than the invasion of the Heartless itself. Though Leon could have easily gone to watch it, to aid Cloud if need be, but he knew this was the blonde's thing – Cloud's duty alone. If he interfered, those many nights that called for such unbreakable endurance would amount to nothing. The moment Cloud grasped victory would be the moment their troubles ended, all nightmares of Sephiroth and Masamune would be vanquished.

"Hey," Cid said, seeing Leon's anxious face as they returned to the Borough. "Kid's strong, he'll be back."

"You don't have to worry about him," Aerith said bravely, "because this time will be different."

"See?" Sora said positively. "Everyone knows he'll win for sure."

He certainly hoped so. What would there be to live for if Cloud was eternally gone?

So he sits on his armchair as usual, waiting.

The battle began in the afternoon, and it is already nearing midnight. Leon shudders, pulling the blankets closer around himself. He cannot help imagining dark images of what had befallen Cloud, but his heart fervently tells his mind not to lose hope. He keeps picturing flashbacks of Sora's enthusiasm and unshakable belief, Aerith's quiet, solemn statement and Cid's encouragement.

The suspense is unbearable.

But he perseveres, and continues to wait.

It is mind-wrecking, and familiar. This feeling of hollowed emptiness. Just waiting, waiting for something to happen.

As the clock strikes twelve, the door is slowly pushed open. Leon's breathing comes to an abrupt stop, and it almost feels as if his heart's stopped beating, too. Maybe it has.

Cloud has always been of small, lithe frame. He looks even more fragile now, carefully making his way through the open doorway. His clothes are shredded, and his whole right arm is streaked with blood. He struggles to hold First Tsurugi in his left. His blonde hair retains its spikes, but everything is duller, limper and even splashed with puddles of red. Cloud's clothes seemed unblemished apart from the tears, but Leon knew the blood had slyly hidden beneath the black cloth.

"L-L…Leon…" the blonde struggles to say, leaning against the door.

In an instant, Leon comes to his senses. He throws the blanket off himself, and hurdles across the room as fast as he can to support the blonde, who's already trembling. His knees are unsteady, and the weakened man falls straight into Leon's arms.

"…tired…" he murmurs.

Leon nods into the blonde's hair, winding his arms around the smaller, thinner waist. "How did it go?" he whispers in a hushed voice, almost afraid of the answer.

A small smile forms on the blonde's lips.

"I won."

At this point, Leon wants to do so many things. He wants to pick Cloud up and swing him round and round till they're both dizzy and dazed. He wants to hug him so hard the blonde can't breathe. He wants to give the blonde a good pat on the back. He wants to congratulate the blonde for his long-yearned victory.

"Hey, L-Leon?" there is still a quiver in Cloud's voice, probably from the adrenaline that still ran rampant in his veins.

"Yeah?" Leon asks, guiding Cloud to a couch, so that the blonde can rest.

"I was s-scared," he mumbles. "Scared I wouldn't be able to come back."

"You're back now," Leon says steadfastly. "Everything else doesn't matter anymore. You've won. You're free. We're all free from the bastard."

"But it feels…feels like he isn't completely gone yet," Cloud rubs his arms nervously, staring wildly at the ceiling. "Like he might appear again…somehow. He's always there, you know? He was always there, and I can't help feeling he still is. Almost like I didn't plunge First Tsurugi into his chest, almost as if he's just escaped."

"Hey, hey," Leon says, taking Cloud's chin and lifting the blonde's face to meet his eyes. "You've done what you set out to do, right? From now on, if he appears again, he's not just _your_ thing anymore. If he dares set one freaking foot into Radiant Garden, I'll fry him. We'll all fry him. So you don't worry about the bastard, because he won't be back in a hurry once he sees we're _all_ going to fight his pathetic little ass."

Cloud cannot help but laugh a little, and Leon knows he's got the right words.

"Come on," he says, hugging Cloud close, feeling the blonde's breath on his neck. It's comforting to know that Cloud is finally here, finally safe. "We should get some sleep while we can. You're back on patrol duty tomorrow."

Cloud grabs a cushion with his good hand and thwacks Leon's head with it. "Yes, take advantage of a wounded person, why don't you?" he says mock peevishly.

"Aw, come on – a Cura, maybe two and you'll be ready to kick Sephiroth's ass all over again," Leon snorts.

So Leon heaves Cloud up with little difficulty. The blonde still weighs like an anorexic. He holds Cloud close to him, and helps the blonde climb the stairs slowly to their bedroom.

He knows Aerith can hear, for the noises emitting from her room earlier are all silenced. There is no thumping, so Yuffie must be sound asleep. The pacing cannot be heard any longer, and the lamp had been blown out in Cid and Vincent's room. They have definitely retired to bed.

They collapse on the double bed they share together, unaware and uncaring of the blood smeared all over the sheets. Leon could not care less about it for the moment. He only cast Curas on Cloud till the bleeding stops and any chances of infection were nullified.

They lay, side-by-side, unaware of the tangy, coppery stench that permeates the air, ignorant of their filthy clothes.

Cloud snuggles close to Leon, his forehead pressed against the crook of Leon's shoulder. Their legs entangle together, and there is silence for a few minutes.

"Hey, Leon?" Cloud says timidly, though the tremor in his voice is finally gone.

"What?"

"Thank you."

Leon chortles, whacking Cloud on the back of his head.

"Go to sleep, troublemaker."


End file.
